Coming out is the process through which individuals name and own their authenticity to themselves and to others. It is most often associated with the Pride community but, there are ways in which we all want to live authentically, to be ourselves. By being honest about who we are, who we love, what we are good at, and what brings us a sense of fulfillment, we can build relationships based in honesty. Coming out provides opportunities for us to love in ways that truly embody respect and love of self and respect and love of others. Coming out allows us to live more fully who we have been created to be.
But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’
At Christmas we celebrate the coming of God with us, Emmanuel, as embodied in a baby, born to poor parents, whose first bed was a manger. God entered this world in an authentic way. In Jesus, God ‘comes out’ as One who is fully divine and fully human. In Jesus, God shows us what it means to be human, to embrace our gifts, to love more deeply and more completely than the world had previously known.
It begins not unlike many ‘coming out’ stories – with vulnerability and humility. In Jesus, God needs to trust human beings with the story, with the life that enters this world. It starts with Mary and Joseph who are the ones tasked with doing what is necessary to protect Jesus and ensure that Jesus can grow and thrive. Mary and Joseph are given the first glimpses of God in human form and have the privilege of watching as that coming out unfolds.
Then angels, heavenly beings who are well acquainted with God, tell shepherds that God is now among them, and invite the shepherds to come and see. What does it say about God’s authenticity that it isn’t the powerful and privileged that are first told about God’s coming out party, but rather those on the margins, those who understand what it is like to be outside of the community, those who are tasked with doing the work others would prefer not to do?
Of course, God’s coming out is not a random event. There were prophecies, and signs to help those who paid attention to recognise God’s presence. Magi from the East, foreigners to the Jewish tradition, had the wisdom to recognise these signs and chose to come and see. The Magi represent all those who may not be part of our families and yet have the capacity to recognise and honour the authenticity of another. In Jesus, God’s coming out, invites foreigners and strangers into the story.
Indeed, coming out can become more of an inviting in when love is at the centre of the story. We learn this through Jesus. In Jesus we are invited to meet God face to face, to see God as fully human, walking the walk and talking the talk. In Jesus, God ‘comes out’ by inviting us into a deeper and more authentic relationship with God and the world as embodied in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus shows us who God is in tangible ways and invites us into the story, whoever we are, whatever gifts we have, however we come to learn about Jesus. In Jesus, God invites everyone into relationship with the One who is Creator, Redeemer, and Life-Giving Spirit.
But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’
Jesus transforms the relationship between humanity and God because Jesus is an authentic embodiment of Emmanuel, God with us. The child we celebrate in the manger is God’s coming out to the world. This moment, this beginning to an incredible journey, is offered to teach us what it means to live and love in and through who we have been created to be. By Jesus’ example, we too are invited to reflect on what it might mean for us to come out, to name and claim who we are, and be fully honest in our relationship with God, ourselves, and each other.
Coming out is the process through which individuals name and own their authenticity to themselves and to others. May we continually seek to learn from the example of God’s authenticity in Jesus, so that we might perpetually explore what it means to enable all people to live authentically as God’s beloved children. This we pray as we sing: God Rest You Merry